Emergency survival capsule



Nov. 8, 1966 D. c. BALCH 3,283,717

EMERGENCY SURVIVAL CAPSULE Filed June ll. 1965 III/ 3' I INVENTOR.

-. DUANE GBALcH. BY Z W ATToQ Y.

United States Patent 3,283,717 EMERGENCY SURVIVAL CAPSULE Duane C. Balch, 923 Erica St., Escondido, Calif. Filed June 11, 1965, Ser. No. 463,264 1 Claim. (Cl. 102--37.8)

This invention relates to an emergency survival capsule and more particularly to a capsule for carrying an emergency survival flare, match or the like; the combination of which may be worn on a lanyard about ones neck or on a key chain or key ring that may be carried on ones person.

Emergency situations often find one in the need of a pyrotechnic device. These emergency situations may of course take any one of several forms such as for example the emergency need for a match, flare or fusee. These emergency situations happen to everyone. However the unfortunate person is not prepared for the emergency. While he may be near or in automobiles, boats, or the like; boats and vehicles often are not equipped with such emergency devices. Also the person in the particular emergency situation may be alone and not near vehicles. Thus it has become more and more apparent that an individual should be equipped with an emergency signalling or other type device that may be easily carried on their person. The device should, of course, be useful in emergency situations and meet the demands of the situations and yet be of such size as to not be antagonistic to the person who carries it. Further the device should be of sufficiently small size to not be bothersome to the carrier and yet be water proof, for preserving the pyrotechnic device and be of sufficient strength and sealing capacity to seal the pyrotechnic device against accidental ignition and injury to the person.

It is well known that many state laws now require vehicles to carry flares. This is recognition of the necessity of having survival equipments of which even today many cars are still not equipped. However even if vehicles are equipped with flares, they often are not equipped with the means for igniting such flares. Even though the means for igniting such flares may be carried in a very small container. Boat operators often find it desirable to have an emergency pyrotechnic type device and yet the emergencies of survival type conditions on boats can cause one to have to enter the water without adequate time to take survival gear. The same is applicable to surfers. Further, armed services personnel are often thrust into environments that require emergency survival type signalling devices or the like of the kind that may under my invention be carried on their person at all times.

Therefore it is an object of this invention to provide an improved and novel emergency survival pyrotechnic capsule.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved and novel emergency survival pyrotechnic capsule that is complete within itself.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved and novel emergency survival pyrotechnic capsule that is water tight, self sealing, easily opened, light weight, shock proof and does not make a rattling noise when carried.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved and novel emergency survival pyrotechnic capsule that may be safely carried and yet provide pyrotechnic displays upon demand.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved and novel emergency survival pyrotechnic capsule that may be unnoticeably carried by the user and which capsule may contain any of several pyrotechnic type emergency survival devices.

The emergency survival pyrotechnic capsule of this invention generally comprises a shock proof and integral 3,283,717 Patented Nov. 8, 1966 tube that is closed at one end and is open at the other end. The open end of the tube is closed with a cap which closed connection may take any of several forms and preferably would be of a water tight threaded screw connection or a water tight bayonet type connection. The cap has an eyelet with an outer dimension substantially equal to the diameter of the cap. Accordingly even though the capsule of my invention may be and preferably is small, in the order of, for example, a little larger than a wood type match; still the eyelet is large enough to receive chains, lanyards or the like.

The internal surface of the tube is smooth and slidably receives a survival fusee, or flare, for example, having an outside dimension sufliciently equal to the internal dimension of the tube and cap. This allows the fusee or flare to be snugly received radially and lengthwise. Thus while the fusee or flare may be quickly and easily removed from the tube by taping or jiggling the tube, the fusee, flare or the like will not rattle within the container with sufficient force to cause its ignition or create a noticeable sound during normal wear.

While this invention involves a capsule specifically constructed for carrying fusees, flares, or the like, the capsule of this invention may also carry in combination other pyrotechnic type devices such as matches or even flints 01' the like, where the carrying of such articles may be of advantage in a prospective emergency survival situation.

This invention has many uses and obvious advantages. For example the particular fuse of this invention can have alternate sections that burn alternately every few seconds with different colored lights. This signal light of alternating colors functions as an eye catching flare light. The flares can be constructed of magnesium that contains its own oxygen and that may float and burn on the surface of water. Thus the flare when carried by a lanyard around ones neck can be opened, ignited by an impact or friction self igniting end and then allowed to float on the water near a swimmer, surfer or the like. Such a combination emergency survival flare has obvious advantages for persons that are adrift in the ocean at dusk or at night to signal close rescue boats, aircraft and the like.

Other objects and advantages will become more apparent from the following detailed description and accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side view of the capsule of this invention.

FIGURE 2 is another side view of the capsule of this invention with a chain passing through the eyelet.

FIGURE 3 is a cross-section of the tube portion of this invention with a self-igniting fusee or flare inserted therein.

FIGURE 4 is a cross-section of the tube portion of the capsule of this invention with a plurality of flints inserted therein.

FIGURE 5 is a cross-section of the tube portion of the capsule of this invention with a match inserted therein.

FIGURE 6 is a flare of this invention that may fit in the capsule of this invention and which flare gives off alternating colored light.

FIGURE 7 is a cross-sectional view partly broken away of the threaded connection for the capsule of this invention.

FIGURE 8 is a cross-sectional view partly broken away of a bayonet type sealed connection for use in this invention.

Referring now to FIGURE 1 the capsule 10 of my invention has a tube 12 that has a closed end 36 and an open end 38. The embodiments in FIGURES 1 through 5 have threaded upper ends 32. A cap 14 having internal threads (see FIGURE 7) threadably engages threads 32 on the end of the tube member 12. A sealing gasket means 40 is engaged by the open end portion 38 of the tube member 212. Thus when engaged the in ternal volume of the capsule is sealed. The cap 14 has an eyelet 16 with substantially the same outer diameter as cap portion 14. The eyelet 18 is of suflicient size to receive chains, lanyards or the like such as chain 22 even though the entire size of the capsule may he very small, such as for example, of sufficiently reduced size as to unobtrusively be connected around ones neck with dog tags or the like or that may be connected to key chains. The cap has shoulders 22 blending into the eyelet 16 all of which constitute a very strong and integral cap construc tion.

As previously described the survival capsule may contain any of several types of pyrotechnic devices such as fusees, flares, matches, or the like. The capsule of my invention may carry a fusee or flare 24 having a pin 26 for supporting the flare in wood or other penetratable surfaces. The flare 24 also has a friction or impact igniting cap 39 on the end thereof. This flare has outer dimensions that substantially correspond to the inner dimensions of the capsule. This permits a snug and nonrattling fit of the fusee or flare in the capsule. The upper portion of the flare, namely the friction or contact igniting portion 30 contacts the felt or gasket material 4 0. Thus no impacting movement of the flare occurs in the capsule that could result in ignition. When flares are of the type that require external oxygen for ignition, then the sealed container will prevent accidental burning Where the flare construction is of a magnesium construction, then the substantially shock proof and nonrattling type construction for carrying the pyrotechnic device protects against accidental ignition.

The tube and cap portion of my invention preferably may be constructed from aluminum because of its light weight and non-corrosive characteristics. Of course the tube and cap may also be constructed from plastic or other suitable materials and eve-n of steel if use of this type of metal is desired. The use of plastic has the advanta-ge of being transparent. Instructions for use of my invention may then be inserted outside the flare and read through the tube.

As a modification, the cap may also be joined to the tube through a bayonet type connection in which an outer projection 46 is twisted with the tube and c-oacts with slot 48 in the well known manner. The end portion 38 cont-acts O ring 50 that resiliently biases tube member downwardly forcing projection 46 into the latched position in slot 48. Seal member 50 also forms a water tight connection.

In operation the emergency survival pyrotechnic capsule of this invention is assembled with a pyrotechnic type device, flints or the like carried on ones person. If the capsule is carried around ones neck such as with dog tags or the like it will always be available for immediate emergency use. When an emergency condition arises where one needs a pyrotechnic device such asa match, a signal flare or the like, then the cap portion of the capsule is removed and the flare tapped out and then placed in use as desired. Where it is necessary to insert the pin portion of the flare into a supporting surface such as a wood surface .28 (see FIGURE 6), then the flare may be removed from the tube with the end portion in the cap. The cap may then be used to force the pin into the wood surface.

The flare may be ignited by any of several well known means, such as by friction, impact ignition, heat or the like. Flare 24 shown in FIGURE 6 contains alternate colored pyrotechnics that will provide brilliant white and red light in fairly rapid succession. This alternating colored light may be seen and recognized from a considerable distance. It is recognized that the flare device of this invention is small in size and is not capable of burning of long periods of time. Its use would be at those critical moments when recognition or discovery by rescuers is possible if a light is available and ignited.

It is understood that the embodiment of my invention as shown and described is merely illustrative, and that the scope of the invention is not to be limited thereby except as set forth in the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

An emergency survival pyrotechnic capsule comprising in combination,

an integral water tight and shock proof tube being closed "at one end and being open at the other end,

the outer surface of the other end having projections therefrom adjacent said open end,

an integral cap having bayonet type connection slot for coacting with said outer projections of said tube,

0 ring sealing means adjacent the internal surface of said cap for providing a resilient biasing of said bayonet type connection vand for water sealing said connection,

said cap having integral therewith an eyelet for receiving a supporting lanyard,

said eyelet projecting outwardly along the longitudinal axis of said tube and having an outer dimension substantially equal to the diameter of said cap,

and a survival pyrotechnic device having an outside dimension substantially equal to the inside dimensions of said joined tube and cap for fitting inside said capsule.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 960,094 5/1910 Jackson 102-37.8 X 995,174 6/1911 Pfeil 10.2-37.8 X 2,120,580 6/1938 Sherman 102-377 2,358,713 9/1944 Hutt 102-373 X 3,023,925 3/1962 Sher 220- 3,055,269 9/1962. Clarke et a l 102-37.4 X 3,146,613 9/1964- Hiner 102-374 X 3,240,384 3/1966 Lerme-r 220-60 SAMUEL FEINBERG, Primary Examiner.

ROBERT F. STAHL, Examiner. 

